Rigatoni Meatball Soup

Something I personally find a lot of joy and fun in, is turning a familiar recipe into a soup version of itself, and that’s just what I did with this cheesy rigatoni meatball soup.

Meatball Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (85/15 ratio, organic if possible)

• 1 French roll (2-3 ounces), processed for 20-30 seconds in food processor for breadcrumbs

• 1 egg, whisked

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press (Need a good garlic press? Here’s the link: Rowav Garlic Press)

• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

• Splash of milk or half & half (about 2 tablespoons)

Soup Ingredients:

• Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• Pinch salt

• Pinch black pepper

• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1/4 cup red wine (optional)

• 1 (28 ounce/ 793 gram) can organic whole, peeled tomatoes

• 6 cups warm chicken stock (I like Better Than Bouillon to make my stock)

• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 8 ounces uncooked rigatoni, cooked according to package instructions

• Grated mozzarella cheese (about ¼ cup per serving, so about 2 cups total)

Preparation:

-Prepare your meatballs by placing your ground beef into a large bowl, and then adding in the remainder of the meatball ingredients; gently mix together just until combined, and using a tablespoon, scoop portions of the mixture and roll between your palms to form meatballs.

-Place a large soup pot (non-stick is ideal, if you have it, you can give this one a try: Calphalon Unison Nonstick 4-Quart Soup Pot with Lid) over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; once the pot is hot, add in the meatballs, working in a couple of batches, if necessary; if you have a non-stick pot, then you can leave your meatballs to brown on that first side, undisturbed, for about 2-3 minutes; if your pot is not non-stick, make sure to move it around vigorously for about 30 seconds when you add in the meatballs so they don’t stick to the bottom before the sear up.

-Once the meatballs are browned on all sides (about 4 minutes total per batch), transfer them to a plate or bowl to hold; then, drizzle in a touch more olive oil (if needed), and add in the chopped onion.

-Saute the onion, scraping up the good bits from the meatballs as much as possible; add in the dried basil, oregano, and parsley, plus a pinch of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using), and stir for a couple minutes until things soften.

-Add in the garlic and stir that to combine, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the tomato paste, and stir to incorporate that in, about 30 seconds or so; add in the red wine to deglaze (if using), and after about 20 seconds, add in the whole tomatoes and the chicken stock.

-Simmer the soup for about 15 minutes; then, using a blender or a hand-held immersion blender (my personal favorite for soup, here’s the link: KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender), puree the soup until smooth.

-Add the meatballs into the soup, and bring it back to a gentle simmer; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes more until the meatballs are tender.

-To serve, add ½ cup of the cooked rigatoni to a bowl, and ladle in some of the soup (about 1 ½ cups) along with 4 meatballs; top with about ¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese, and either enjoy immediately, or place under the broiler for a minute to melt and slightly brown the cheese.

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